The ministry sent an announcement to all establishments of education on Friday, urging them to be prepared to close their premises if needed and reorganize work to prevent a spread of the virus in schools and kindergartens.

"I would like to thank very much the teachers and senior teaching staff of Kristiine High School as well as other schools who have thought through how to reorganize their work if needed, so that children can learn individually at home," Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps said. 

"Rapid action taken [by the Kristiine High School] when it became clear that the school must temporarily close instilled a lot of confidence – we can take prompt action if we need to," she said, adding that decisive action is currently being taken to mitigate risks to the greatest possible extent.

The ministry advises for educational institutions to continue following recommendations by the Health Board regarding the global spread of COVID-19.

Reps urged people who have returned from high-risk areas to take the recommendation to remain at home for two weeks seriously.

On Friday, a student at Kristiine High School in Tallinn tested positive for COVID-19, and as they had been attending lessons, teaching activities in the building have been suspended for at least two weeks. The school facilities have undergone disinfection and learning will meanwhile be conducted remotely.  

--

Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS kinow and never miss an update!